Leafy greens production is ramping up at local hydroponic greenhouse Greenswell Growers.
Operations were already underway during its grand opening ceremony last Friday. The 77,000 square-foot Goochland County-based facility was a $17 million investment with assistance from Gov. Ralph Northam’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund. The Virginia Department of Agriculture worked with the county to secure the project for the Commonwealth.
Carl Gupton, Greenswell’s president, said the 1.5-acre greenhouse is enclosed under a polycarbonate glass roof and has a closed-loop growing system, which means from seeding to harvest, the process is completely automated. The greenhouse will produce three varieties of leafy greens — Essential Green Leaf; Vibrant Leaf Blend, a mix of green and red leaf lettuce and arugula; and Hearty Kale Blend, a mix of green and red kale.
“No human hands touch the product,” he said. “We’re able to fully automate the facility with 14,000 U-shaped channels…
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